Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yojenna’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yojenna’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; large decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; red purple-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yojenna’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially known as a garden-type Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yojenna’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in November, 1999 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 93-L355001, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 96-L011, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in November, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form, attractive floret coloration and good garden performance.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since January, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yojenna has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yojenna’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yojenna’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plants.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large decorative-type inflorescences with elongated         oblong-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Red purple-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering in mid-September in the Northern         Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more mounding than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were lighter         in color than ray florets of plants of the female parent         selection.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more mounding than and         not as upright as plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not as         red in color as ray florets of plants of the male parent         selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Christine, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,988. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Christine in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller and more         mounding than plants of the cultivar Christine.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker in         color than and resisted fading longer than ray florets of plants         of the cultivar Christine.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Jenny Wren, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,213. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Jenny Wren in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about one week later         than plants of the cultivar Jenny Wren.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were straight         whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Jenny Wren were         curled.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum resisted         fading longer than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Jenny         Wren.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yojenna’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of the cultivar ‘Yojenna’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the late summer and early fall in an outdoor nursery under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden-type Chrysanthemum production. One cutting was planted in a 15.25-cm container in mid-July, 2004. Plants were grown under natural season conditions. During the production of the plants, temperatures ranged from 10° to 32° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yojenna. -   Commercial classification: Decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number             93-L355001, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 96-L0111,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten to twelve days             at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous             decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum. Inverted triangle with             mounded crown. Stems initially upright, then outwardly             spreading. Freely branching with about nine primary branches             with lateral branches potentially forming at every node.             Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 24 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 40 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: about 23 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Internode length: About 1.75 cm. Aspect: Upright and             outwardly spreading. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A faintly             overlain with 187A.         -   Foliage description.—Leaf arrangement: Alternate. Length:             About 5.6 cm. Width: About 4.9 cm. Apex. Mucronate. Base:             Mostly truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses mostly             divergent. Texture, upper surface: Slightly pubescent.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent; veins prominent. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker             green than 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146A. Petiole length: About 2.3 cm.             Petiole diameter: About 3.5 mm. Petiole color, upper             surface: Close to 146A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close             to 146B to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage, arising from leaf axils. Ray             florets developing acropetally on a capitulum. Very freely             flowering, about 24 inflorescences per lateral branch.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in mid-September in the Northern Hemisphere.         -   Inflorescence bud (before showing color).—Height: About             5 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color (lower             surface of phyllaries): More green than 147A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: Large, about 5.3 cm. Depth             (height): About 2.4 cm. Disc diameter: About 3 mm;             inconspicious. Receptacle diameter: About 6 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 2.6 cm.             Width: About 7.5 mm. Corolla tube length: About 5 mm.             Corolla tube diameter: About 1 mm. Apex: Rounded, cordate or             emarginate. Margin: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny. Surface: Concave to mostly flat. Orientation:             Initially upright, then perpendicular to the peduncle.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 165 in             numerous whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close             to 61A to 58A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 158C             underlain faintly with 61A to 58A. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 58A to 64A. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 158C faintly underlain with 61A to 58A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 5 mm.             Width, apex: About 2 mm. Width, base: About 1 mm. Number of             disc florets per inflorescence: About ten. Color: Immature:             Close to 154A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A. Mid-section and             base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 22. Length:             About 9 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute.             Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface:             Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color,             upper surface: 144A to 146A. Color, lower surface: More             green than 147A.         -   Peduncle.—Length: First peduncle: About 7.2 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 9.4 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: About 40° from vertical. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: 9A to             12A. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 12A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Style             length: About 5 mm. Style color: Close to 155D. Stigma             color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have been     observed to be tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures ranging from     0° to more than 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yojenna’, as illustrated and described. 